The Subtle Differences Between Cubed Steak And Minute Steak
Have you ever seen cubed steak, but passed it by? It's usually priced well and looks like ground beef, but no one knows what to do with it. Is it truly a steak or is it just a fancy ground beef? According to the Chicago Steak Company, cubed steak is sort of an elevated ground beef. It isn't actually ground up but the markings on it make cubed steak look like it might be ground. The cut comes from the back end of the cattle which makes tougher meat. Because of this, the butcher tenderizes and flattens cubed steak into the meat you see in the store. The markings are from the tenderizing process.
Cubed steak is a budget-friendly meat and worth considering. Thanks to the fact that it's a tougher cut, the price is usually fairly low. Also, Price of Meat explains that cubed steak can take a little longer to cook, which may make it unappealing for some chefs. However, it's a great choice for things like casseroles or a slow cooker. One of the best ways to cook cubed steak is by breading it and frying it as chicken fried steak. If you've ever enjoyed that at a restaurant, you were likely eating cubed steak.
Sometimes the words cubed steak and minute steak are used interchangeably, making it confusing and leaving shoppers wondering which one is which or if there is any difference. Minute steak and cubed steak do have subtle differences.
What is minute steak?
Minute steak is intriguing because you must wonder, does it cook in a minute? Well, that is one of the big differences between cubed steak and minute steak. Ostrali writes that minute steak is a very thin cut of meat. Usually about ¼ inch thick and cut from the sirloin of the cattle. It cooks up nicely and shouldn't be tough unless you overcook it, which is easy to do because they are so thin.
Minute steaks aren't marked as cubed steaks are. They don't go through the tenderization process since they are already a thin cut and come from the sirloin rather than the rear. They're great as quick frying meat to use in Mexican dishes, such as tacos, fajitas, burritos, or your favorite enchiladas recipe.
In conclusion, both cubed steak and minute steak are budget-friendly. Cubed steak is tougher but works well when cooked slowly or breaded and fried. Minute steak, however, must be cooked quickly and works well when it's seasoned and sliced for use in other dishes.